Doing CAD/Engineering consulting from aboard a sailboat?

[Sandero]

progress meetings? bi weekly? about what? with whom?

[Sam Plan B]

CAD/Engineering consulting from aboard a sailboat: Progress meetings to monitor the progress of the project, bi-weekly per contract, with the client. That is, unless you intend to phone it in, as they say.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

How will you do bi-weekly progress meetings?

That's a good one

Green screen and a fake suit jacket over your ratty bar tshirt then broadcast via Skype? "No Sir! That is most definitely not waves crashing in the surf! Must be static you are hearing!"

[hellosailor]

"1. Most Marina Wifi is not dependable, "
Anywhere the cruise ships dock, and many other places, there are "internet cafes" and other solutions where you can upload files from a hardwired connection. Poaching free wifi isn't the only way to get online.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

CAD/Engineering consulting from aboard a sailboat: Progress meetings to monitor the progress of the project, bi-weekly per contract, with the client. That is, unless you intend to phone it in, as they say.

Well if you are a principal and have all sorts of meetings to attend on a regular basis it's not that easy to be moving around. If you are doing mostly CAD work it hardly matters where you are.

[Sam Plan B]

And if your subcontract requires you to attend bi-weekly progress meetings as part of the project team and you persist in phoning it in, how long do you think that will continue? There are lots of other people around with a CAD skill set though the A/E profession is going more to BIM every day. I think you are better advised to look for a local A/E firm at your port of destination that can use you (even under the table at a reduced hourly rate) on local projects.

[islandplanet]

My wife and I both worked while cruising. I was running Island Planet Sails and she was working on software projects. She found it a bit frustrating at times working with multiple monitors on the boat. I don't know anything about the nature of your work, but you may want to focus on how you can set up a usable workspace that doesn't get disrupted. If you're like my wife, and require multiple screens, that's something you want to make sure fits, preferably not on the dinette table. Also we found that we used a lot of power supporting the office equipment.

[mottseng]

As a mechanical engineer nearing the time I would like to retire, I would like to have the option of subcontracting some design work remotely. I can see where this is possible but still have not figured out the logistics in terms of all the taxes and other legal payroll stuff. I hope I am not off topic on this and apologize if I am hijacking the thread. Thanks

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Sandero

... I don't like to work on board as I go to the boat to escape work!...

That is the way I see it. Though I do occasionally work (engineer) from the boat, unless the weather is bad it doesn't work for me. Even a phone call on a perfect day forces me to shift gears back to the place I left. I would rather hustle and get ahead, then be out of contact for 1-2 weeks. Perhaps it would work if I set certain days apart, but I doubt it. Rainy days are best for me.

[islandplanet]

Originally Posted by mottseng

As a mechanical engineer nearing the time I would like to retire, I would like to have the option of subcontracting some design work remotely. I can see where this is possible but still have not figured out the logistics in terms of all the taxes and other legal payroll stuff. I hope I am not off topic on this and apologize if I am hijacking the thread. Thanks

This forum would be the last place to get meaningful advice. Talk to your CPA or tax attorney. If you're cruising outside the US, rules for ex-pats have changed. Many of us have switched our legal residence to a state that does not have state income tax before going cruising.

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by islandplanet

This forum would be the last place to get meaningful advice. Talk to your CPA or tax attorney. If you're cruising outside the US, rules for ex-pats have changed. Many of us have switched our legal residence to a state that does not have state income tax before going cruising.

Agree, consulting with tax and other professionals will be done particularly since I live in Canada. Thanks

[Sam Plan B]

There is another option for someone who knows CAD. CDC machines, laser cutters and high pressure water cutters run on CAD files. Find a boat yard in your port of destination and offer your services for window trim rings, stainless galley tops, custom chain plates, etc. You email the CAD file to the manufacturer and in a week the finished item is delivered. I have done that on my own boat and it works just fine.

[Fidar]

Originally Posted by islandplanet

My wife and I both worked while cruising. I was running Island Planet Sails and she was working on software projects. She found it a bit frustrating at times working with multiple monitors on the boat. I don't know anything about the nature of your work, but you may want to focus on how you can set up a usable workspace that doesn't get disrupted. If you're like my wife, and require multiple screens, that's something you want to make sure fits, preferably not on the dinette table. Also we found that we used a lot of power supporting the office equipment.

I am industrial designer running a 2-man team, my wife is my packaging and graphic designer. I do use two monitors at home and in the office, which is convenient but not a must. Yes, my clients occasionally ask to come for a meeting and I have to go to China every 3-4 months. But I hope to fit my working patterns into sailing routine.

[Fidar]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

There is another option for someone who knows CAD. CDC machines, laser cutters and high pressure water cutters run on CAD files. Find a boat yard in your port of destination and offer your services for window trim rings, stainless galley tops, custom chain plates, etc. You email the CAD file to the manufacturer and in a week the finished item is delivered. I have done that on my own boat and it works just fine.

Hey, this may be a good idea! As I mentioned, I am industrial and product designer. I can design and model in 3D pretty much anything. I also have and use 3-D printers in my office to make prototypes for my clients. Of course, most likely, 3-D printer is a bit too much to have on a boat. I also have 3-D scanner and a while ago helped some local guy who restores and collects old antique cars. He needed several steel and brass parts, which are no longer manufactured and no longer available anywhere. He had original broken or bent parts, which I scanned with 3-D scanner, adjusted in my CAD software (SolidWorks; Autodesk Inventor; Pro-E) and sent out to a shop in Connecticut where they were made in proper material.